I don't normally OC, and I have a couple times in the Phoenix metro area. Just twice, but here's my experience:
OC: S&W M&P 9mm FS, Blackhawk SERPA CQC (Level 2 retention) at 9'oclock (I'm a southpaw)
I open carry at my mag cap with no +1 chambered -personal preference, please don't judge.
I was in the heart of downtown Phoenix, and if you've ever been to downtown Phoenix (or just PHX in general) the place is swarming with cops. Can't walk five minutes in any direction without seeing a cruiser. I tend to walk facing oncoming traffic, so most motorists which pass by don't really notice that I'm carrying because my strong side is facing away (again, lefty)
Anyway, there is this great Sushi restaurant I frequented before, not open carrying. The day I was carrying, I walked in and sat down. There was no problem. No signs prohibiting firearms, and it's quite a small place. No one asked me to leave. It was a very pleasant lunch. That was about to change. Anyway, this sushi restaurant is situated in a type of restaurant plaza in the heart of downtown phoenix off of 3rd street. After finishing my sushi, I needed to use the restroom.
This complex has public restrooms. My friend, who is female and CCs (+21 w/o a permit) -has her S&W .38 in her purse opted to wait for me outside. There is a long hallway leading to said restroom. On the way into the restroom, a rather young and disheveled looking homeless man opens the door and is leaving the restroom. As I pass him, I can see in the reflective surface of the bathroom door that he turned around after I pass him, and is staring at my handgun.
It just.. didn't feel right. I opted to ignore it. I then proceeded to enter the stall to conduct my business (#1 only) in the stall closest to the wall..aka the handicap stall. No sooner had I latched the stall when I hear the door of the restroom open again, and I look through the crack in the stall only to see the same homeless person come back inside the restroom. I thought to myself, that's odd.
He then proceeds to come into the stall directly next to mine, and I purposefully wait. He doesn't take off his pants. And there are no sounds of him urinating or using the restroom. This made me quite concerned. I stood there for at least another minute and after not hearing any sounds coming from his stall, I then proceeded to plan my exit so that when I left the bathroom stall, he couldn't ambush me with the door and try and take my handgun.
If anybody knows anything about downtown phoenix, the transient population is not only homeless, but more often than not also mentally unstable. I decided to anticipate his actions, take my chances and just remove myself from that uncomfortable situation. I am a rather calm and level-headed person. I am not antagonized easily. I just found it quite disconcerting that he would leave the restroom, I see him eye my handgun behind my back as I walk in and then he proceeds back into the bathroom and chooses the stall next to mine (there are 4 not to mention urinals) and doesn't even use the restroom. What I notice, especially while open carrying is my situational awareness is heightened ten-fold. To reiterate, I am not one of those who are itching for action, and I don't want to invite these situations. In the end, no matter how uncomfortable I was I just exited -not saying a word to him or even touching my handgun. I just left and on the way out of the stall made sure my strong side was protected.
What do you guys think of the situation?
Other than this quite awkward experience, what I found while open carrying seemed just to be a lot of looks. It doesn't seem like a worried look, moreso a curious look. As in, "why is that young man carrying a weapon?" But I more often than not have my college friends around, girls and guys and I'm the only one who really enjoys guns...so they know me and respect my decision to exercise my right to carry (off-campus) and after the first time they ever saw me do it, treat me like my handgun isn't even there. We just talk about grades and parties and who's having sex with who, guns don't even fit into the conversation.
People get used to it. What people are not used to I suppose is me being young, a college student, and openly carrying a gun. I dress professionally, and act normally. I don't think it's a big hysteric deal as most people make it out to be. What, someone who is openly carrying their firearm, holstered, wearing a polo shirt and ironed khakis is going to sit down and eat sushi with his classmates then proceed to disturb the peace? I just don't see it.
Like I said, after awhile, people can get used to it and once they just get past the fear of "WHOA, A GUN!" it really isn't that big of a deal. You often find that the anti-gun argument against those who lawfully own and operate them "WHAT DO YOU NEED AN ASSAULT RIFLE FOR? WHAT DO YOU NEED GUNS FOR? DON'T YOU KNOW WE HAVE COPS. YOU'RE SO PARANOID AND CRAZY. I'M SCARED OF PEOPLE OF LIKE YOU. IF IT WEREN'T FOR PEOPLE LIKE YOU SOCIETY WOULD BE SAFER."
So I don't need my guns because I'm just paranoid and crazy, yet the people who make that argument always fail to realize that their argument is based entirely on their own paranoia. Interesting. Are their feelings about me being a lawful citizen enough to trump my Constitutional right to carry my handgun? Don't think so.
Cheers!
